1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, and more particularly to a communication apparatus with a remote monitoring function and acommunication display method therefor.
2. Related Background Art
A monitoring apparatus as an example of such communication apparatus is composed of several video cameras, a synthesizing device for analog synthesis of the images therefrom, and a device called switcher, capable of selecting such images. Such system is principally utilized in a relatively small-sized building and is called a local monitoring system. In contrast to such local monitoring system, there is recently developed a remote monitoring system utilizing a digital network such as LAN or ISDN for the image transmission channel instead of analog cables, thereby enabling significant extension of the transmission path.
Among the recent monitoring systems, there have been announced ones utilizing IBM compatible personal computers (PC) for the monitoring terminals and realizing system control and image display by graphic user interface (GUI). The use of GUI with computer in the monitoring apparatus provides an advantage of easier handling even for the unskilled personnel.
However, though such conventional systems utilize the digital network for the image transmission channel, the display on the monitor is conducted in the analog manner, so that the display position of the image from the video camera is strongly dependent on the hardware of the system. For this reason, the display position of the image from the video camera is fixedly assigned in an image display position on the specified monitoring terminal at the installation of the system, and it has not been possible for the monitoring user to arbitrarily change the image display position for the convenience of monitoring or to select the images of the video cameras to be monitored.
Also in the conventional configuration, it has been necessary, in case of communicating image data with plural image transmitting terminals, to designate the instruction for communication for each of such image transmitting terminals constituting the counterparts of communication.
Also in the conventional configuration, the instructions to be given by the operator increase in proportion to the increase of the number of the image transmitting terminals constituting the counterparts of communication, so that such configuration is not convenient for use.
Furthermore, the conventional configuration in which the display positions of the received images are fixed is unable to cope with the increase in the number of the image transmitting terminals constituting the counterparts of communication.